* AYAAN HIRSI ALI

Daughter of the Enlightenment

by CHRISTOPHER CALDWELL
Published: April 3, 2005

" ...As always, Hirsi Ali's armed security detail was there. They have been her companions since she started receiving death threats in September 2002. Hirsi Ali, who was born in Somalia and has been a member of the Dutch Parliament since January 2003, had endorsed the view that Islam is a backward religion, condemned the way women live under it and said that by today's standards, the prophet Muhammad would be considered a perverse tyrant. She had also announced that she was no longer a believing Muslim. The punishment for such apostasy is, according to strict interpretations of Islam, death ..."

Updates:

Slate
Los Angeles Times
Newsweek
Reason Magazine

Islam’s Silent Moderates by AYAAN HIRSI ALI
Published: December 7, 2007,
New York Times

* Gerda Lerner ~ Feminist/Historian, Author, Teacher, Jewish Atheist

Feminist/Historian, Born April 30, 1920 in Vienna, Austria.

Gerda Lerner is one of the founders of the field of women's history and African-American history. She was a founding member of the National Organization for Women and is a former president of the Organization of American Historians. Lerner has played a key role in the development of women’s history curricula at Long Island University (1965-1967), at Sarah Lawrence College from 1968 to 1979 (where she established the nation's first Women's History graduate program), at Columbia University (where she was a co-founder of the Seminar on Women), and since 1980 as Robinson Edwards Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is a professor emerita of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a visiting scholar at Duke University.

Lerner's books "have been a staple of women's studies classes for decades. In her collection of essays, Why History Matters, Lerner described her experiences as a female Jewish atheist: 'More difficult and public was my refusal, four weeks before the appointed date, to go through with my Bar Mitzvah on the grounds that since I no longer believed in God nor in what was taught in religious instruction, it would be hypocritical for me to go through the ceremony. This provoked a family crisis, much noise, anger and pressure of various sorts, but in the end I prevailed. But more--I refused to set foot in a synagogue again and kept to that refusal for over fifty years.' Lerner links her experiences as an atheist with her eventual career choice as a historian. According to Lerner, "What is left to a Jew who refuses the religious community? Antisemitism and history."

Biography

Fireweed: A Political Autobiography,
Introduction and Chapter One

Books

• No Farewell (1955) an autobiographical novel
• The Grimké Sisters from South Carolina: Rebels against Authority (1967)
• The Woman in American History [ed.] (1971)
• Black Women in White America: A Documentary History (1972)
• The Female Experience: An American Documentary (1976)
• A Death of One's Own (1978/2006)
• The Majority Finds Its Past: Placing Women in History (1979)
• Teaching Women's History (1981)
• Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey (1982)
• The Creation of Patriarchy (1986)
• Why History Matters (1997)
• The Rise of Feminist Consciousness (1993)
• Scholarship in Women's History Rediscovered & New (1994)
• Fireweed: A Political Autobiography (2003)

* American Women Lose 34 Years of Progress ~ Back to Alleys and Coathangers

Top court upholds ban on abortion procedure

'Partial birth' law at issue; first time for justices to ban a specific procedure

April 18, 2007

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court's conservative majority upheld a nationwide ban Wednesday on a controversial abortion procedure in a decision that sets the stage for additional restrictions on a woman's right to choose.

For the first time since the court established a woman's right to an abortion in 1973, the justices said the Constitution permits a nationwide prohibition on a specific abortion method. The court's liberal justices, in dissent, said the ruling chips away at abortion rights.

* The new law, in the works for a long time, was effected by five old duffers, all men, two of whom were appointed by Bush, i.e., Roberts and Alito. The ruling includes two years in federal prison for doctors who violate the law even if the woman's health is at stake.

The preservation of the sanctity of human life is critical for everyone but so is the human right to self-determination. A law forbidding vasectomies can be slightly likened to this new law.

Bush 'pleased'

Reacting to the ruling, Bush said that it affirms the progress his administration has made to defend the "sanctity of life."

"I am pleased that the Supreme Court has upheld a law that prohibits the abhorrent procedure of partial birth abortion," he said. "Today's decision affirms that the Constitution does not stand in the way of the people's representatives enacting laws reflecting the compassion and humanity of America."

It was the first time the court banned a specific procedure in a case over how - not whether - to perform an abortion.

* Oh, please! "The compassion and humanity of America"? So why not end the Iraq war, Mr. President!

blogHillary

* Angelina Jolie ~ Humanitarian Awards Winner, Goodwill Ambassador, Godless Goddess

March is Women's History Month

There doesn't need to be a God for me. There's something in people that's spiritual, that's godlike. I don't feel like doing things just because people say things, but I also don't really know if it's better to just not believe in anything, either. ~ Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie visits camp in Chad to assess situation for Darfur refugees

BAHAI, Chad, February 27, 2007 - UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie on Tuesday completed a two-day mission to a refugee camp in eastern Chad which enabled her to assess how the security situation has deteriorated for Sudanese refugees since her last visit to Chad three years ago ...continued

Instead of attending the Academy Awards, Angelina Jolie (also an actress) was in Africa to visit refugee camps and raise awareness about the continuing devastation in Darfur. At only 31, Jolie's humanitarian outreach resume--that began in 2001--is voluminous. Not only has she given of herself but has donated millions for various issues and needs around the world.

Also see E! Online

* Congratulations & Thanks to Nancy Pelosi for Giving Us This Special Day in History

60th United States Speaker of the House
Incumbent
In office since
January 4, 2007

American women have been waiting for this for over 200 years, and I hope Speaker Pelosi will be welcomed by men, as well.

Nancy Pelosi is hoping to start off big with her "100 Hours Agenda," the first step towards larger changes. The proposals are progressive, including cutting oil subsidies to invest in clean energy, getting cheaper prescription drugs for seniors, and raising the minimum wage. Corporate lobbyists--the big drug companies, oil companies, and business lobbies--are already working hard to defeat the agenda, and we need to show where the American people stand. Please add your name to MoveOn.org's petition calling on Congress to pass the 100 Hours Agenda.
Pass the First 100 Hours Agenda

Here's a brief summary of the 100 Hour Agenda package:

Good Government: Cutting off lobbyist gifts and restoring fairness and transparency in the way laws are passed

Fiscal Responsibility: Stop recklessly driving up the national debt

National Security: Implement all of the 9/11 Commission security recommendations

Fighting Poverty: Increase minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, helping 15 million working families

Health Research: Increased funding and availability for stem cell research

Affordable Health Care: Negotiate for lower prices on prescription drugs, passing savings on to seniors

Education Access: Cut interest on federal student loans in half

Clean Energy: Cut oil company subsidies and invest in safe alternatives
Pass the First 100 Hours Agenda

Hey, it looks like somebody cares about us! How refreshing. But where is Iraq in the plan? MoveOn.org states, "Later this month, we'll organize local meetings with our representatives, urging them to take on the really big issues that Americans care most about, like health care for all, clean energy and Iraq. Stay tuned for more details."

To read a more detailed summary of the 100 Hours Agenda legislation,
Click Here.

METAXY, Earlier Postings on Nancy Pelosi

Photo from Wikipedia

* How Secularism Became a Dirty Word ~ Susan Jacoby

Fact: The government of United States of America was the first secular government ever founded in the world.

"What America lacks today is a public figure who talks about the danger of religious interference with government in the uncompromising terms used by Robert Green Ingersoll, the foremost exponent of freethought and the most famous orator in late 19th century America. Known in his own time as "the Great Agnostic," Ingersoll declared that the founders 'knew that to put God into the Constitution was to put man [and woman] out. They knew that the recognition of a Deity would be seized upon by fanatics and zealots as a pretext for destroying the liberty of thought. They knew the terrible history of the church too well to place in her keeping, or in the keeping of her God, the sacred rights of man [and woman].'"

Susan Jacoby's Freethinkers:
A History of American Secularism
2004

"At a time when the separation of church and state is under attack as never before from the religious and political right, Freethinkers celebrates the noble and essential secular heritage that gave Americans the first government in the world founded not on the authority of God but on the bedrock of human reason ..."


"In impassioned, elegant prose, Susan Jacoby offers a powerful defense of more than two hundred years of secularist activism, beginning with the fierce debate over the omission of God from the Constitution ..."

"Rich with iconic figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Clarence Darrow—as well as once-famous personalities like Robert Green Ingersoll, known in the nineteenth century as 'the Great Agnostic'—Freethinkers restores to history generations of dedicated champions of secular government, reason, and the Enlightenment values that shaped America's revolution."

Excerpt
* * *
How Secularism Became a Dirty Word
by Susan Jacoby

This speech was delivered at the 27th annual national convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin, on October 30, 2004. Author Susan Jacoby was named "Freethought Heroine of the Year" by the Foundation.

Excerpts,a preview to her book:

"Ten score and 15 years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and founded not on the authority of God but on the rights of humankind and the bedrock of human reason. Now we are engaged in a crucial test to determine whether a nation so conceived as the first secular government in the world can further endure.

"I began the research for Freethinkers six years ago, because I was convinced that most Americans are woefully undereducated about the secular side of the nation's heritage, beginning with the rationalist Enlightenment values that shaped the revolutionary generation. Today, nearly four years into a presidency that has mounted the most radical assault on the separation of church and state in American history, secularism is in even greater trouble in the United States.

"This attack on secular government is especially ironic, because it comes at a time when people around the world are witnessing extraordinary and terrifying new demonstrations of the power of religion to do harm when it is united with political and state power."

"Why are Americans and their elected leaders not proclaiming from the rooftops that secular government, coupled with complete religious liberty, is the cornerstone of a decent society?"

"Why have we reached a point in our history where candidates don't have the guts to say that the government has no business spending tax money on health care plans designed to satisfy the doctrines of any religion?"

"Better than most, secularists understand the power of religion, and the possibility that any intensely felt drive for righteousness may overwhelm dissenters in its path. That is why they must insist on the fundamental importance of absolute separation between church and state--not namby-pamby partial separation in which religion can insinuate itself into government by the back door--which is what tax breaks for school vouchers allow churches to do.

"But it is not enough for secularists to speak up in defense of the godless constitution; they must also defend the rationalist values that produced the legal structure crafted by the framers."

"Campaign 2004 could have been an important 'teachable moment,' as educators say, for politicians with the courage to challenge the religiously correct rhetoric we all became accustomed to under the ministry of George W. Bush."

"Candidates should not try to hide their support for separation of church and state, but should proclaim it on every possible occasion. They should also challenge Bush ... "

"Finally, secularists--if they are to regain a powerful voice in the public square--must reclaim the language of passion and emotion from the religiously correct ..."

Susan Jacoby is program director of the Center for Inquiry-Metro New York, a rationalist think tank housed at Rockefeller Center.

* * *



One Nation, Under Secularism
by SUSAN JACOBY

January 8, 2004

"In Campaign 2004, secularism has become a dirty word. Democrats, particularly Howard Dean, are being warned that they do not have a chance of winning the presidential election unless they adopt a posture of religious "me-tooism" in an effort to convince voters that their politics are grounded in values just as sacred as those proclaimed by President Bush."

" ... the framers of the Constitution deliberately omitted any mention of God in order to assign supreme governmental power to 'We the People.'"

Full Article

As we see in George W. Bush's reign, the melding of his religious faith and the people's government is disastrous for 'We the People' and the world. ~ BlogHer

See The United States Charters of Freedom

* Democrats Given Their Voice by the American People

Click to Enlarge
Created by Brian Narelle
* * *
Part of email from Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee:

Nancy Pelosi wrote:

"Together, we can set a new course for America. Nowhere did the American people make it clearer that we need a new direction than in the war in Iraq. We are committed to finding a new solution to Iraq, but we know that actions speak louder than words.

"That's why we will go forward with our "Six for '06" agenda:

- To make our country safer by implementing the 9/11 commission recommendations
- To make our economy fairer
- To make college and health care more affordable
- To move toward energy independence
- To guarantee a dignified retirement
- To do this in a fiscally sound way with civility, integrity, and bipartisanship."

"That's the kind of tangible progress that you have brought within reach by devoting yourself so enthusiastically to supporting the work of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee."

With deep appreciation,





Nancy Pelosi

* Nancy Pelosi ~ America's Top Goose

Representative Nancy Pelosi, First Woman Speaker of the House

~ Ellen Malcolm

“... millions of women cheered as [Democrat] Nancy Pelosi became the first woman Speaker of the House. This is the highest political leadership position ever held by a woman and puts Pelosi in the driver's seat as we begin to fulfill the will of the electorate and reshape the national agenda. Seeing this smart, tough, effective woman leading the Congress will help pave the way for the future of all women in politics.”

We've come a long way, baby ...

* * *
Frances Wright, 1829, History Suffragist Movement, Timeline

"Author Frances Wright travels the United States on a paid lecture tour, perhaps the first ever by a woman. She attacks organized religion for the secondary place it assigns women, and advocates the empowerment of women through divorce and birth control."


"A DownWright Gabbler, or a goose that deserves to be hissed - "

" ... an 1829 caricature which takes a hostile view of Frances Wright's public lectures. Many at the time considered the mere fact of a woman lecturing in public to be a shameless act of brazen impudence and effrontery in itself (regardless of the particular content of her lecture), and the fact that Wright preached radical views of slavery abolition and giving women the right to vote only increased the criticism she received.

"The caricature depicts her with a goose's beak and eyes, wearing a black dress and reading from a book as she lectures. A young man with a somewhat vacant look, and a hand tucked into one side of his vest (à la Napoleon) patiently holds her fashionable bonnet. (This was probably intended to be interpreted as going a little bit beyond an ordinary daily act of chivalry into a more or less subserviently deferential role.)"

Wikipedia

* Emily's List ~ Grassroots Political Network

Who We Are

"EMILY's List, the nation's largest grassroots political network, is dedicated to taking back our country from the radical right wing by electing pro-choice Democratic women to federal, state, and local office. We are a network of more than 100,000 Americans -- from all across the country -- committed to recruiting and funding viable women candidates; helping them build and run effective campaign organizations; training the next generation of activists; and mobilizing women voters to help elect progressive candidates across the nation.

"EMILY's List has helped to change the face of power in America. Until EMILY's List was founded in 1985, no Democratic woman had ever been elected to the U.S. Senate in her own right, no woman had ever been elected governor of a large state, and the number of Democratic women in the U.S. House had declined to 12 -- less than three percent of the chamber's 435 members. Since then, our grassroots network has helped elect 61 Democratic pro-choice members of Congress, 11 senators, and eight governors. EMILY's List has also become the largest financial resource for minority women seeking federal office. We know how to win."

Learn More

* Freedom From Religion Foundation

“The only true shield standing between women and the bible, that handbook for the subjugation of women, is a secular government. U.S. citizens must wake up to the threat of an encroaching theocracy, and shore up Thomas Jefferson's 'wall of separation between church and state.' ”

-- Annie Laurie Gaylor, Woe to the Women: The Bible Tells Me So (2004 edition)
* * *
“It took me years, but letting go of religion has been the most profound wake up of my life. I feel I now look at the world not as a child, but as an adult. I see what's bad and it's really bad. But I also see what is beautiful, what is wonderful. And I feel so deeply appreciative that I am alive. How dare the religious use the term 'born again.' That truly describes freethinkers who've thrown off the shackles of religion so much better!”

~ Julia Sweeney (FREF)

Wikipedia